Why can a 12 year old not be an atheist?

Question

do you have to be an expert in theology to not believe in god? it's not rocket science, people.

check out the answer i got for this question
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuYtXNbR.hEaSLVCBO7.ORTsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070913060635AAi16Hu

my son is twelve, he doesn't believe in god, nor does he think god is a possibility, therefore, he's an atheist, right?

the answer was from "largegrasseatingmonster"

Answer 1

I began to think of myself as an atheist when I was nine. By the time I was twelve, I was absolutely certain. During my teens and early twenties I continued to "search," hoping to find a faith that appealed to me. None did. I didn't understand it back then, but my personal philosophy is science. I know that the physical realm is the only basis of objective reality. Human perception is NOT the foundation of reality and thinking deeply does NOT require telepathic communication with the gods (God). If you really want to know if your son is a genuine atheist, I suggest you discover his views of the nature of reality. If he's not a Solipsist, if he does not assume his own perceptions are the basis of reality, the chances are good he's philosophically predisposed to atheism.

There will be those who argue that a twelve year old is just too immature to understand the issues. Do you know your son's IQ? You can calculate his mental age by multiplying his chronological age by his IQ. For example, if he's a real genius and his IQ is 147, his mental age might be: 12.5 years x 1.47 = 18.375 years. This means he's he's slightly smarter than the average 18 year old. It is a well documented fact that religiosity is inversely correlated to both intelligence and education.

It is important to appreciate that even if he's a genius, his emotional development is a seperate issue entirely. Many geniuses lag behind their peers in emotional maturity. It is my opinion, that the social isolation (shunning really) that truly gifted kids and young atheists receive in public schools contributes to a sense of social isolation that leads to poor self-esteem. There is nothing so damaging to personal development as the way immature Christians treat those who hold unorthodox views. I know from personal experience that some twelve year olds are capable of being rational atheists. If your son actually is an atheist, he'll need a lot of parental support to overcome the religious bigotry he will surely face as he matures.

Answer 2

he was saying that most atheists have been around a little longer and have read the bible and other books and determined that there is no god. I didn't decide I was atheist until I was 16 and didn't tell anyone until I was 18. Hearing about a 12 yr old proclaiming to be an atheist is a little odd because they are still so young. not that there's anything wrong with it, cuz if thats what he believes then good for him

Answer 3

Yes i do believe that a 12 year old can be an atheist.
As for myself, i have children ranging between the ages of 21 and 8yr old twins.
I encourage them to seek out their own spiritual path and to learn about other beliefs and religions...and have tolerance and respect for all.
My 21 yr old, luthern
16yr old agnostic
8yr #1 confused
8yr #2 egyptian tradition

Myself, an eclectic pagan solitaire witch...

i hope you find what it is you seek

bb
)o(
trinity

Answer 4

a 12yo can be an atheist.

I think the argument they maybe working toward is the idea that a 12yo doesn't have the mental facilities to grasp the concepts of religion and so can not make any personal definitive statement on God. In other words just like a 12yo can't really be a Jew, Muslim, Christian, or any other religion because they don't have the full capacity to understand they really can't be a "true" atheist becaue they don't have the full rational capacity.

Does that make any sense?

Answer 5

you can be whatever you want at any age.
I didn't ever believe in god, even as a child.
at one point I believed in santa
later I learned he wasn't real
what you believe changes as you age, get new information etc
so yeah, a 12 year old can be an atheist

edit: what the catholic crusader wrote could go both ways
yes, children are not mature enough to understand CERTAIN things
that's why my parents didn't shove religion down my throat
kids don't understand about sex either but if you don't talk about it you end up on Maury with a 16 year old pregnant daughter
kids are smarter than people give them credit for

Answer 6

The technology consultant for this fiction tale have been given lots incorrect in this paragraph. lots that i won't be in a position to wager what our fictitious "genius" is meant to be concluding for or against the super Bang. “otherwise, the carbon could ought to be popping out of the stars and for this reason the Earth, made extra often than not of carbon, we wouldn’t be right here. So I calculated, the time it may take to create 2 p.c. of the carbon interior the universe, it may easily ought to be quite a few micro-seconds. Or a pair of nano-seconds, or something like that. an exceedingly small quantity of time. Like faster than a snap. That isn’t gonna take place.” factors lighter than iron are formed in stars. factors heavier than iron are formed in supernovas. Our image voltaic device is a third technology celebrity, which ability that's made out of the stuff from 2 previous celebrity lifetimes.

Answer 7

Because the "good" christians say so. Oh well, Jesus should not even be in a history book. But anyway, he can be what ever he wants, as long as you raise him to respect other people's religions. I think that a 12 year old has enough capacity to know what he choses to believe in.

Praise Horus!
Blessed Be

Answer 8

To be an atheist, you would have to KNOW beyond any possibility of doubt, that there is, indeed, no god. In order to know that for certain, you'd have to know everything there is to know, both within and without this universe.
Since nobody can KNOW for certain that there is no god, at best, you can be an agnostic.

Just because your son doesn't think god is a possibility doesn't make him (or you) right.
The big fear of a bit of text in a history book proves that YOU, not the kid, is afraid of Jesus.
Why??

I am a Christian, and I am not afraid for my kids and grandkids to be exposed to other ideas. I have faith in my kids...and in their ability to choose what is best for THEM.
Too bad you don't have that same faith in your child.
Must make it kinda rough on the kid....
:-(

Answer 9

Yes a 12 year old can be an athiest. Just don't expect him to stick with it, he may change his beliefs many times in the next few years. I am a Christian now, but I have studied all religions and have made my decisions by being aloud to discover on my own, I was not 'raised' to believe one way or another, but by giving respect to all.

That is one trait that I do not see in Athiests, for some reason most seem to believe that we who believe in God are stupid or irrational.....I hope your son learns respect for ALL people and their beliefs or lack thereof.

Answer 10

I've been an atheist all my life. I could never understand what all the fuss was about. Even at about 6 years old. Made me look at my fellow man in a very confused way.